The Start of Something New
by YoDog41
Summary: Jean is a collage student with a mundane life. Looking for a bit of excitement, he enters the Café down the street, and meets a worker there by the name of Marco. Little does Jean realize, walking into the Café may just be the best idea he has ever had. [Rated 'T' just to be safe.] [(JeanXMarco) Don't like, don't read.] [Café AU] [**YAOI FLUFF**]
1. Chapter 1

_A/N:: Hello, everyone! I normally do not like to start new stories when I still have others going, but I got the strange urge to write a different one. And so, I decided that it couldn't hurt. I will still be updating my other story every once and a while, so just know that it's not forgotten! Although, this one may be top priority for awhile. Also, most of this story will be in Jean's POV, unless I state otherwise. _

_Disclaimer:: This story will be M/M, so if you don't like homosexual relationships, please do not read._

…

_Special Today: Café au Lait _

Coffee and I never got along too well; which is why I never understood why I had decided to go into the Café down the street. Sure, they sold other things besides coffee, such as pastries, but the atmosphere in the 'coffee houses' never sat well with me. Maybe the reason I had gone in there was because I had nothing better to do after I had gotten out of class; or maybe it was because I wanted to check out the place everyone couldn't seem to stop talking about; or maybe it was even me trying to get some excitement out of my day; but my bets were on something more important, like there was something that I needed to do.

I looked around the small Café, and noticed that there weren't many people inside, despite how popular it was. Everyone in my classes would rave about how good the coffee, or deserts were, so it was a bit of a surprise to see that it was practically empty; save for an older woman crocheting in the corner, and two other collage students that were typing on their laptops. The café was dimly lit, and it smelled of fresh ground coffee, with something fruity intertwined. It was almost relaxing in a way. I sighed a bit, and walked up to the counter, where a man, who looked around my age, was working. He had larger, brown eyes; darker skin, with many freckles littering his face; and a dazzling smile to go with. I looked down on his apron, and saw a metal name tag, which read 'Marco'.

Marco smiled gently at me. "Welcome to the 'Café der Freiheit'. What may I get you this evening?" he asked warmly.

I glanced above the worker, and looked at the chalkboard sign that had the items the café served, and the first thing that caught my eye was the special. "Café au Lait? What's that?" I asked, trying not to sound stupid.

"It's the French way of preparing 'coffee with milk'. Is that what you would like?" he asked, just as he was about to turn to the machines.

I shrugged. "I guess. You know, you could just call it 'coffee with milk' if that's what it is…" I mentioned in a bored voice.

Marco chuckled a bit. "You'll have to take that one up with my manager…" he remarked, before pouring coffee beans into the grinder. "So, do you go to live around here?"

I raised an eyebrow as to what Marco's motives could be. "Yah, I'm actually a student at the collage up the street. Are you a student yourself?"

Once the coffee was done being ground, and it was poured into a cup, Marco added some milk, and crème into it. "Not at the moment, no. I am done getting my degree, and I'm awaiting a job currently." he said, before placing a lid on the coffee and handing it my way. "I'm working here as a part-time job. And, I have to admit, it pays pretty well."

I grabbed the coffee off the counter, and took a sip of it. My eyes lit up, and I stared at the cup in wonderment. "This is really good…" I paused. "Are you sure this is just a 'part-time' job? Because this tastes like something a professional would make."

Marco rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Your words are too kind, honestly. I'm not _that _good at making coffee."

"I wouldn't say that if I were you… I don't even care for coffee, but this is amazing." I remarked, taking another drink.

"Well, thank you, sir. It means a lot." he mentioned, with a smile gracing his lips.

I leaned against the clean counter, and set the cup down for a moment, before reaching into my wallet and grabbing the money I owed him. "'Sir' is too formal; call me Jean." I handed him the money, and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Marco."

Marco's eyes widened, as he took my money. "How did you-"

"I read your name-tag." I said, cutting him off with a smirk. I picked my coffee back up again, and took another drink. Marco's confusion turned into a gentle smile, and he popped open the register, and exchanged the money I gave him, to my change. When he tried to hand it my way, I held out my hand, and stopped him. "Keep it." I remarked.

"Thank you," he mentioned, smiling to himself, as he placed the change back into the register.

I glanced down at my watch, and frowned a bit. "I guess I better be leaving; I'm supposed to hang out with a friend later this evening." I paused. "It was nice talking with you, Marco."

"The same goes for you." he mentioned, with a smile gracing his lips. "Thank you for stopping by! I hope you come back soon!"

I smiled back at him. "Don't worry; I plan to." I remarked with a small chuckle, before walking out of the café. I couldn't seem to put tabs on this 'Marco' person; it seemed like I had known him for awhile, yet it felt like he was a complete stranger to me, all at the same time. I didn't know what I felt towards him, whether I enjoyed his company, or it was something more. All I knew was that he was a collage graduate, probably with a big future on his shoulders, and he could make a mean Café au Lait.

…

_A/N:: I hope that the first chapter has caught your interest, because I have more things in store for this story! I know how much everyone loves Café AU's; myself included; so I couldn't help but write my own! _

_Yours Truly,_

_~YoDog41_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N:: Hello everyone! I am deciding to continue, on account of boredom, and happiness that is because of Spring Break. Which also means that you can expect more updates than usual. Also, thank you for the reviews! They are wonderful!_

…

_Special Today: Ipoh White Coffee_

I found myself in the same café the very next day, and I had no clue as to why. When I had walked inside, Marco was working the register, and he was surprised to see me, to say the least. It was almost as if I had found myself drawn to the small coffee house, and not just because of the wonderful coffee; there was something more important than that. Although, I probably should have gone later in the day, due to how crowded the place was. I realized that it was true about how popular the café was, because it took Marco about twenty minutes to give me my order of the special; Ipoh White Coffee. I also decided that, since I was becoming a bit hungry, I should order one of the many pastries that were on the menu. There were a lot of choices, and so I became a bit overwhelmed, and ordered the one thing that grabbed my eye, a Raspberry Torte; it was delicious, needless to say.

As I sat at one of the tables towards the back of the café, I couldn't help but feel a bit bad for Marco at the moment. He was trying to deal with a rude customer, and he had a look of frustration on his face. The man he was talking with said he had ordered a cappuccino, with a double shot of espresso, while he had only received one. His whining towards Marco was irritating, and almost painful to listen to, because there were so many people in the café and there was bound to be at least one mixed up order. Marco was the only one who was working, so the man really needed to cut him some slack. It was taking a lot not to walk up to the man and yell at him, but something like that would probably make the situation worse.

Eventually, he left with his money back, and a pissed off look. I sneered at him as the man walked out of the café, probably to ruin more people's day. I never like people like him; the ones who, if they weren't in a good mood, then no one could be. I finished off the rest of my pastry, and took another sip of my coffee. It was just as good as the one I had tried the previous day, except this coffee beverage was much more sweet, plus it had been chilled. It was relaxing, in a way, and it somehow reminded me of good memories.

It was about twenty more minutes until the café had died down, and there were only a few people left. I hadn't realized that I was there much longer than I had intended, until I noticed that it was become darker outside, which meant the temperature was also much colder than it had been during the day. I mentally cursed due to the fact that I was going to have to walk out in it, to get to my dorm. I was about to stand up so that I could tell Marco 'goodbye', and leave, when the door opened, and a little bell rung. A man who appeared to be around the age of thirty walked inside, holding an annoyed gaze on his face. Marco smiled at him, and sighed in relief. "It's nice to see you, Levi… It's been a busy day." he mentioned, before finishing with wiping up the counter.

The man named Levi sighed. "It's nice to see you also, Marco. You really should try and get a later shift; you look exhausted." he mentioned, walking back behind the counter, and grabbing an apron. He tied it around his neck, and back, before glancing over towards my direction, and glaring because I was looking at him. "Who's he?" Levi asked to Marco, but I could still hear it.

Marco chuckled a bit, and smiled. "That's Jean; he just started coming here." he remarked, taking off his apron, and hanging it up.

"Tch… Well, tell him to stop looking at me like I have some shit on my face." he barked, sending a glare my way.

I narrowed my eyes at Levi, and then shifted my attention back to my coffee, which was now empty. I sighed, and leaned back into the chair. It seemed that everyone that came into the café was looking to ruin my good mood. I glanced up to see that Marco was walking over to me with an apologetic smile. "Don't let Levi get to you, Jean… Once you get to know him, he's not _that _bad; he just gets annoyed easily, and doesn't like talking to others." he said in a calming voice.

"Then what the hell is he doing working at this café?" I asked, with a raised eyebrow.

Marco shrugged. "Beats me… Although, he is very good at making coffee; even better than me." he mentioned with a slight smile.

"Doubt it…" I remarked with a smirk, seeing as though Levi had been listening to our conversation, and now was sending a glare in my direction. I ignored it though, and focused my attention back towards Marco, who was laughing. I raised my eyebrow. "What's so funny?" I asked.

Marco looked up to me, and had a saddened smile on his face. "It's nothing; you just remind me of my bother, that's all…" he said. "Anyways… Do you have anything planned for tonight?"

My eyes widened a bit, and I gave Marco a questioning look. "Not that I know of; no. Why do you ask?"

He gave me a nervous smile, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh, was wondering if you would like to go and see a movie. I've had a stressful day, and I feel like I need to relax; a movie is just the way to do that. So, would you like to come with? If not, I understand."

I could detect a slight blush under Marco's freckles, and he looked way too nervous. "Sure," I mentioned with a gentle smile. "I'd love to."

Marco's eye lit up at my agreeance, and a smile danced across his lips. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed a bit too excitedly.

I wondered as of why he was so ecstatic; all I did was agree to go to a movie with him. But, I was happy to go, nonetheless. I stood up, and left the dishes on the table. Since I had ordered to stay, I was given a porcelain cup, and plate to eat, and drink on. I stretched, and sighed as the joints in my back cracked. I had been sitting in the bench for so long, that my body had stiffened up, and it was nice to stand up after the long time. Marco stood up after me, and we walked out of the café together, to see a movie of his choice. There was something about this man that I couldn't quite explain. It was something that he made me feel, but for some reason, I couldn't seem to place my finger on what it was. Whenever I would look into his mocha eyes, I would feel my heart skip a beat, and his smile would make it worse. I didn't know what the feeling was, though, because I had never experienced something like it before. I just hoped that, whatever it was, I could find out about it soon, because it was driving me crazy.

…

_A/N:: Well, I hope that chapter was satisfactory enough for you all! I'm not sure of how often I will update, but there may be a chapter tomorrow, depending on if I feel like it. _

_Yours Truly,_

_~YoDog41_


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